The realization that all neoplastic mucinous cysts have malignant potential has led to intensive evaluation of patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic pancreatic cysts to determine the nature of the cyst and the possible need for resection. Currently, imaging and cyst fluid analyses offer the best means of accurately assessing pancreatic cysts preoperatively.

This review focuses on the increasingly important role of cytopathology in molecular diagnostics as the knowledge of cancer biology and signaling pathways continues to grow and as less invasive diagnostic procedures are becoming the norm. The adequacy of cytology specimens is discussed in relation to the methodological aspects of critical molecular assays in the selection of tyrosine kinase treatment for patients with cancer.

Moderate to good agreement between 2 cytopathologists evaluating anal cytology samples collected from human immunodeficiency virus-positive men who have sex with men was observed. Anal cytology may be used for anal cancer screening in high-risk populations, and biomarkers of human papillomavirus-related transformation can serve as quality control for anal cytology.

Women with atypical squamous cells of unknown significance (ASCUS) and type 16 or 18 human papillomavirus (HPV) have a significantly higher rate of high-grade (grade ≥2) cervical neoplasm/vaginal intraepithelial neoplasm and carcinoma (CIN/VAIN2+) than women with ASCUS and non-16/18 HPV types. Therefore, HPV genotyping for HPV16/18 can improve risk assessment in women who have ASCUS Papanicolaou results and may be used to predict the risk of CIN/VAIN2+ and to better guide follow-up management.

Ultrasound-guided thyroid bed fine-needle aspiration biopsy is an accurate and efficient tool in the triage of patients during post-thyroidectomy follow-up for recurrent thyroid carcinoma. A high diagnostic accuracy can be achieved in patients with history of papillary or medullary thyroid carcinoma (100%) as well as follicular or Hürthle cell thyroid carcinoma (93%). Caution should be taken during interpretation of fine-needle aspiration specimens that have low cellularity and lack of characteristic cytologic features of thyroid carcinoma.